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THE CUBA REVIEW 



School of Science, University of Havana 



administered by him through a Board of Public Instruction composed of a vice-president 

 and twelve other members appointed by the Home Governor on the recommendation of 

 the Governor General, its ex officio President. In each province there was also a Board 

 of Education acting under the supervision of the Provincial Governor and Provincial 

 Deputation. Local or municipal boards consisting of the mayor as president, one alder- 

 man, the parish priest and three fathers of families also existed, the number of members 

 being increased on the recommendation of the mayor by adding more heads of families 

 in towns of more than 1.000 families. Inspectors were provided, these being members 

 of the Superior Board of Education. The examination of text books and instruction of 

 the professors were entrusted to the clergy. The complete course of instruction included 

 Christian doctrine, the outlines of sacred history, reading, writing, the elements of 

 Spanish grammar, spelling, arithmetic, and a brief outline of agriculture, industry and 

 commerce and the constitution of the State. Primary superior instruction embraced a 

 reasonable extension of the subjects mentioned above and also the principles of geometry, 

 lineal drawing and surveying, the rudiments of history and geography, especially of Spain, 

 and the elements of physics and natural history. Sewing, embroidery and drawing as 

 applied to the latter were included in the elementary instruction of girls, for whom the 

 elements of domestic hygiene were substituted for arithmetic, industry and commerce. 

 The superior course of elementary instruction was not available for the girls. All ele- 

 mentary instruction was by this law* provided free for those children whose parents were 

 not able to pay for it. Taxes were provided for the support of the schools thus estab- 

 lished, and the law required every town of 500 souls to maintain at least one elementary 

 school for boys and another for girls, two schools for boys and two for girls being 

 required for towns of 2,000 inhabitants, three in towns of 4,000 inhabitants, the number 

 of schools, including private schools, increasing by one for each sex for every increase 



